It has been a long time since I last visited Japan. To be exact, 6 years ago. Japan has always been my favourite country on the list, so much so that I have probably visited the country close to 10 times, including spending some time working there.
For this trip, I have decided to ditch the usual favourite spots of all time, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hokkaido. What is left that is not too touristy and in time for Hanami ?
Fortunately, Nagano and Gifu has been on my radar for a while. Has always wanted to visit Gifu and its surroundings for its quaint and rustic countryside view.
It took me 1 week to plan for 20 days site visit trip (conpared to the 6 months I took for my first trip). Nagano and Gifu have been very popular in recent years and yet is not too touristy. There have been many travel passes available in the region and it would take adequate skills to decipher what works in each case.
Make a transit stop in Singapore (I am currently based in Melbourne) to collect all the relevant passes and phone cards. Singapore Changi Airport is one of the world’s best for the reason that it is a one stop shop. You can buy and collect anything you need before reaching Japan. And I really miss the convenience while based overseas.
At arrival, I would need to exchange my voucher for the Hokuriku Pass and JR Pass.
The Hokuriku is a 5 day pass that allows you unlimited trains and buses in the region. It is the pass that allows unlimited travel all the way from Kansai to Gifu prefecture.
The exchange procedure is similar to JR pass. Pass the voucher to the JR office, fill up your details. Indicate the date you want to activate your pass and off you go.
My 2019 Japan adventures continued….